“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists of eliminating the non-essentials.” – Unknown
Have you ever considered how much time you spend on the myriad of activities that make up your work and everyday life and more importantly how you might be wasting time? Sum up your day-to-day activities and calculate how much time you spend on futile activities, inappropriate relationships, “stuff” and unresourceful emotions.
The trouble is you think you have time. – Buddha
Growing up in a household of four spirited children, a menagerie of ever changing proportion and with a father that was all too often away on business, my mother Shirley certainly had her work cut out for her. She managed the juggling act skilfully, albeit as she would say, “I need another Wednesday.” Do you need another Wednesday or is it more about how you value and spend time?
The findings by Nielsen, in a 2014 Australian Consumer Report showed that 82 per cent of Australians spend an average of 23.3 hours online each week. That accounts for 1,211.6 hours a year and add that to the apparent 13 hours a week spent watching TV and you’re spending around two months of the year in front of a screen.
Do you know how many minutes and hours there are in a year and of that how much time you waste? Check it out.
Based on a 30 day calendar month
Want another Wednesday? Follow these 7 tips to become a master of time, less stressed, healthier, happier and a wonderfully imperfect best version of you.
7 Tips to ditch the “time stealers” and master time
Forget perfectionism and be happy with your personal best
Striving for perfectionism can be a “time stealer” and can inhibit your personal growth whereas going for your personal best creates ongoing opportunity for positive transformation. Here’s how to go for your personal best.
- Be authentic and true to yourself
- Follow your bliss
- Recognize that you can be a business owner, winner or a leader and happy without being perfect
- See a so called failure as a learning opportunity
- Embrace those little imperfections that you take so seriously, they make you interesting
- Acknowledge Murphy’s Law
The power of saying NO
An inability to say no and mean it is a huge time stealer and can lead to burnout. Here are the top 5 reasons you can’t say no and an antidote for each.
- Need for approval; concerned what another or others will think of you if you say no: Make this your mantra: “What you think of me is none of my business.”
- Feeling guilty; feelings of guilt relate to the sense of having done something wrong: Be mindful that by saying no you have done nothing wrong rather looked after yourself and possibly even helped the other person get more resourceful
- Co-dependent relationships or you have a pattern of codependency: It’s complicated and complex pattern so better call me for coaching help with this one
- Fear of retribution: Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen if I say no?”
- Lack of boundaries: Get back to your values and make your decisions and actions match your values. Once you can say no and mean it keeping boundaries will be easier
It’s OK to say “No”
Say adios to naysayers and those nasties
Naysayers are dream stealers and time wasters. If you have people in your circle of influence who are not supporting or at least encouraging you to fulfil your dreams and follow your bliss then maybe it’s time to say adios.
Gossip, criticizing others and general negativity are big energy and time stealers and do not help to make for a kinder world.
Want to avoid the “slow to praise, quick to condemn mentality?”
- Don’t react act
- Refuse to engage in gossip or negativity including online
- Gently let go of naysayers or at least give them a lot less of your time
Your stuff isn’t what it’s cracked up to be
Chipped plates, cracked cups or relationships; if they’re not able to be repaired or worth keeping they are taking up unnecessary time and space to manage and maintain.
- Once a month or at least each quarter do an audit on the home and office
- Let go of stuff; upcycle, recycle or freecylce to create more space and time
- Check the address book…time for a purge?
Transform negative or unresourceful emotions
Times will change for the better when you change. – Maxwell Maltz
Anger, regret, jealousy, hatred and worry are all time stealers.
Want to transform these emotions and reclaim your time?
Anger is a time stealer
For every minute you are angry
you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Anger is generally a response to someone breaking your rules i.e. they mismatched with one of your values.
- Think about the last time you got angry and see if you can match the cause to one of your values
- Someone doesn’t share your values? Embrace the difference rather than get angry
- Remember the above quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
When it comes to regret:
- Being mindful and in the present and makes it harder to regret the past
- Making values based choices, decisions and actions will minimize regret in the future
Feeling jealous?
- Stop comparing yourself with others
- Time for some confidence boosting work
- Being grateful for your own life will minimize jealousy over another’s
You “hate” a certain food, breed of dog, TV program, politician and the list goes on. Before you know it, hate forms part of a language pattern that leads to a mindset and ultimately behaviour.
- Transform hatred into tolerance and acceptance
- Exchange the word hate for dislike and you will get a different physiological response
Has worry ever helped to make a situation better or solve problems?
- Stick this quote on your fridge or at your desk: A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work. – John Lubbock
- Let it go or outsource it at ASK Louise
Go to bed…zzz
A good night’s sleep on a regular basis is critical to human survival. A sleep deficit can cause increased emotional sensitivity and equate to lost time due to diminished cognitive function and productivity.
Ready to get another hour or two’s additional sleep each night?
- Finish eating at least two hours before bed to allow for digestion
- Switch off ALL devices at least two hours before sleep. The brightness from the screen suppresses the normal night time release of melatonin, a key hormone in the body that lets your body know that it’s night and helps to make you sleepy
- Stop consuming caffeine by around 3pm
- Get to bed well before midnight
“Time out makes for better time in”
Make time to recharge the batteries and enhance your “time in” with these simple activities.
- “When the going gets tough, the tough take five.” Stop, breathe, re-calibrate
- Eat a meal outside in a garden or park
- Take a walk by water; river, ocean or lake
- Walk in the moonlight and gaze at the stars
None of us know how much time we have on this mortal coil so let’s make every moment count.
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